Guayule Harvester

Abstract

A guayule harvester comprises a hydraulic-powered cutting and conveying device pulled and powered by a farm tractor. Guides lift the shrub and expose the trunk to a pair of horizontal circular saw blades at the same time that opposed pick-up belts engage the shrub branches and impel the shrub to an elevator conveyor belt. The elevator belt carries the now-severed shrub to the height of the entrance to a transport trailer, and then drops it onto an extendable lateral conveyor, which drops it into the carrier.

1 . A harvester of shrubs, adapted to be pulled and powered by a farm tractor, comprising:
 a trailer frame having a front end and back end, with wheels mounted near the back and a hitch mounted at the front end;   a plurality of plant separators, having front ends and back ends, mounted forward of and below the front end of the trailer;   at least one stem cutter positioned behind the back end of the separators;   at least one pick-up belt assembly mounted above and behind the cutter, capable of engaging and moving a severed shrub toward the rear;   a elevated conveyor belt positioned to the rear of and below the pick-up belt assembly, adapted to move a harvested bush to an elevated position to be deposited into a crop carrier.   
   
   
       2 . The harvester of  claim 1  further including an extendable lateral conveyor positioned below the back end of the elevatable conveyor belt. 
   
   
       3 . The harvester of  claim 1  wherein the cutter comprises a pair of horizontally-mounted circular saw blades. 
   
   
       4 . The harvester of  claim 3  wherein the sqw blades are counter-rotating and overlap slightly. 
   
   
       5 . The harvester of  claim 4  wherein each blade is powered by a hydraulic motor. 
   
   
       6 . The harvester of  claim 1  wherein the pick-up belt assembly is powered by a hydraulic motor. 
   
   
       7 . The harvester of  claim 1  incorporating a plurality of pairs of saw blades and associated pick-up belt assemblies mounted on a single trailer with a conveyor. 
   
   
       8 . A harvester of shrubs, adapted to be pulled and powered by a farm tractor, comprising:
 a trailer frame having a front end and back end, with wheels mounted near the back and a hitch mounted at the front end;   a plurality of plant separators, having front ends and back ends, mounted forward of and below the front end of the trailer;   at least one pair of horizontal, counter-rotating circular saw blades, each blade powered by a hydraulic motor, positioned behind the back end of the separators;   at least one pick-up belt assembly mounted above and behind the saw blades, capable of engaging and moving a severed shrub toward the rear;   a conveyor belt positioned to the rear of and below the pick-up belt assembly, adapted to move a harvested bush to an elevated position to be deposited into a high-walled crop carrier.   
   
   
       9 . The harvester of  claim 8  further including an extendable lateral conveyor positioned below the back end of the elevatable conveyor belt. 
   
   
       10 . The harvester of  claim 8  wherein the pick-up belt assembly is hydraulically powered. 
   
   
       11 . The harvester of  claim 10  wherein the saw blade motors and pick-up belt assembly are powered by a tractor hydraulic system. 
   
   
       4 .